Opposite the pulpit stood the distinctive shape of the steam engine, though David himself wasn't visible. Suppressing his personal interest in examining the exhibits, Simon studied the speaker and saw that it was c.o.x, Drayton's steward for Brentford Abbey.

Finishing his speech, c.o.x said, "Allow me to present your host and the sponsor of this unprecedented forum, Lord Drayton, minister of state for domestic affairs and the greatest supporter of inventions and industry in all of England!"

Magnificently dressed, Drayton ascended the pulpit steps after c.o.x left. Simon edged Meg into a small chapel on the right that gave them a view of the proceedings.

If Drayton had been disturbed by the recent battle for Meg's soul, he gave no sign of it. In a polished voice pitched to fill the high, stone-walled s.p.a.ce, he said, "It is with the greatest of pleasure that I welcome you, the finest inventors, engineers, and visionaries in Britain. Never before has such a gathering taken place."

Simon stopped listening to the words, closing his eyes to concentrate on the suffocating levels of magic that swirled about the chapel. A major spell waited to be triggered, but when he explored, he found no trace of the bindings that would be needed for a ma.s.s enthrallment. Instead, the magic was woven into the fabric of the church itself. The spell seemed designed for . . .

His eyes shot open. "Dear G.o.d, Meg, I don't think Drayton intends to enthrall these men. He wants to kill them!"

Meg pressed her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. "Why?"

Simon reached deeper into the spells, looking for the intent that created them. "He . . . despises machines and factories. He prefers a rural England ruled by a handful of powerful landowners, with the rest of the population helpless and impoverished."

"I remember seeing those att.i.tudes when I was in his foul mind," Meg said slowly as she thought back. "He wants laborers tied to the land and kept ignorant, because that means more power for men like him."

Simon had a swift flash of images-of sooty industrial buildings and great clattering machines, but also of schools and well-dressed, well-fed families. "He's right. Industry will create greater wealth and freedom for the average man." His mouth twisted. "Which is why Drayton hates progress. In his view, the common people are no more than chattel to be used for the benefit of the wellborn. The broader the gap between rich and poor, the happier he will be."

Meg nodded as she looked inward. "I saw that he wants all power for himself, and this is a major step in that direction. Next, I think, he will undermine the Guardian Council, eliminating those who are threats before they realize what he is about. When they no longer protect the legitimate mundane government, he will seize power there."

Meg's words sounded chillingly plausible. Drayton would create a world Simon would not want to know. He must be stopped now. "The thralls are the key. Without them, he will be unable to focus the huge amounts of energy needed to turn this building into a charnel house."

Meg finished his thought. "So we need to find and release them without getting killed first. That's straightforward." Silently she glided from the side chapel and started working her way up the nave, staying in the shadows along the right wall. Maintaining the don't-look spell, Simon followed her. There was no sign that Drayton had noticed them. Having so many personalities and energies crowded into one s.p.a.ce was an effective mask from even a powerful mage.

Keeping his remarks short, Drayton said, "In the spirit of this gathering, the next speaker will be one of you-a man whose mechanical skill allows us to master the natural world." He turned and gestured. "Let me present John Harrison, a clock-maker, a Yorkshire man-and the inventor of the chronograph that enables our ships to know their location anywhere on the globe. So far, the Board of Longitude has not yet conceded his success, for they think him a mere mechanic." There was a pause for laughter. "But men of the future like you recognize the quality of Mr. Harrison's work, and the profound effect such mechanical genius will have on our world. Gentlemen, meet John Harrison."

A nervous man in an old-fashioned wig came forward to take his place at the pulpit after Drayton descended. Clutching notes, he climbed the steps and began to speak in a voice that slowly gained confidence.

Ignoring Harrison, Simon and Meg continued their quiet progress. When they reached the front of the church, Simon glanced around, frowning. Where the devil had Drayton gone?

Meg touched his sleeve and indicated the carved wall behind what would have been the altar. When he looked closer, Simon recognized that it was a screen separating another chapel from the main church. It was masked by a don't-look spell, which is why Simon hadn't noticed it at first. Drayton had to be there, because the currents of power in the church had begun streaming in that direction.

Masked by shadows, they moved forward. When Simon had confronted Drayton before, he had failed. He prayed that this time he was better prepared.

As that fool Harrison droned on in the church, Drayton turned to his thralls. "Now, my faithful tools, it is time to channel the earth energy that pulses around us." They stared at him, blank and obedient.

Would Falconer and Meggie appear? Though Falconer had managed to break the connection, Drayton had stolen much of Meggie's power first, and it would take time for her to recover. Maybe they had fled the estate-he felt no clear sense of their presence now. Perhaps that was just as well. If Falconer entered the chapel in the next few minutes he would be killed, and with him the potential to harvest his unicorn magic. Better to capture the man later so the horn wouldn't be destroyed uselessly.

Of course, if Falconer made it to the Lady Chapel, all would be well. Drayton had prepared for that possibility, just in case. He allowed himself a swift moment of pleased contemplation.

Time to block all the church exits except the one beside him. There was no need for wards-a simple locking spell on the doors sufficed. He invoked the spell easily so no one could escape except through the Lady Chapel, and none of the mundanes could see that the chapel existed. He hoped to take the thralls with him since they were useful, but if that was inconvenient-well, tools could be replaced.

Raising his arms, Drayton began concentrating the energy that nature spilled so extravagantly around him. This would be easier if he could use Meggie, but his personal power was sufficient to channel what was needed to the thralls. "In a moment," he murmured as he shaped the glorious, intoxicating power. "In a moment . . ."

David was intrigued by Harrison's work-fancy a clock being used to determine a ship's longitude!- until his eye was caught by movement along the wall of the church. He looked more closely, and thought he saw Lord and Lady Falconer. Surely they couldn't be here! In fact, when he looked again, he couldn' t see them. Yet there had been someone oddly familiar skulking in the shadows.

Sarah always said that curiosity was his besetting sin, and she was right. Quietly he began moving after the enigmatic forms that had caught his attention.

They were about to step into the Lady Chapel when Simon caught Meg's wrist and gestured at the floor.

She would have missed the shimmering circle, but after he drew it to her attention, she saw that several lines of power were braided together. There were at least two separate spells-and one pulsed with dark, lethal menace.

Instead of stepping into the circle, Simon edged into the chapel in the s.p.a.ce between the circle and the wall. Drayton's back was to them as he faced the thralls, who were holding hands. Each of them glowed with a subtle light: blue for Moses, rose pink for Lily, icy gray for Jemmy, and a dark, intense red for Breeda.

Hands tented before him, Drayton was concentrating so much power that it blurred the outlines of him and the thralls. Meg realized that he was shaping ley line energy into a dense funnel.

As she and Simon entered the room, Drayton aimed the funnel toward the thralls and commanded, "Now!"

When the rush of earth energy reached the thralls, it flared into an angry, pulsing crimson that for an instant seemed to suck all the air from the room before it began flowing into the fabric of the church. At the first touch of crimson energy, the spells Drayton had buried in the stone came to life. The chapel began to vibrate.

"d.a.m.nation," Simon swore, "he's pulling the whole church down!"

Hearing his voice, Drayton spun about. Despite his surprise, he kept the ley line energy flowing without a pause. Coolly he said, "So you made it here in time."

Meg wondered if he had enough energy to spare from what he was doing to hurl a spell at them. Perhaps not, because when the blow came, it was physical. The rogue leaped across the chapel and swung at Simon with a heavy fist.

Simon eluded the blow but his sideways step brought him dangerously close to the ritual circle on the floor. Eyes glittering with triumph, Drayton grabbed his arm and yanked him forward. The instant Simon' s hand crossed the s.p.a.ce above the circle, he collapsed in a swirl of magic.

Aghast, Meg saw that the braided spells were the unicorn transformation spell and a ritual death spell. If the spells worked as designed, Simon would be forced into the unicorn form, then slain with magic so Drayton could harvest the power of the horn. Simon's body was contorted as he fought the spells, but darkness was overwhelming him.

"No!" Meg grabbed Simon's leg and dragged him back from the circle, hoping separation would free him of the dual spells. It didn't-Simon's outlines were shimmering, on the verge of transformation.

"Hold on," she breathed as she knelt and rested her hands on his knee. Thanking heaven that apparently Drayton couldn't spare the power for a magical attack, she poured her own magic into Simon to counter the combined spells. She sent both raw power and the deepest calm she could manage, hoping to balance the treacherous fury Simon must be feeling.

He seemed to stabilize, but the death spell still clutched at him and the vibrations in the church were getting worse. The carved wooden paneling abruptly split, with a shower of splinters and a sound like a gunshot.

Noting the damage, Drayton reached for the k.n.o.b of a cleverly concealed door. "It is time to take my leave." His smile was colder than winter ice. "I go into a better, purer England."

Feeling helpless, Meg recklessly increased the power she was channeling into Simon. The darkness around him diminished and he managed to choke out, "Stop Drayton, Meg! To save his life, he might stop trying to destroy the church."

She gave Simon a last dose of energy, then rose to confront the rogue. "This time, you devil, you will face the consequences of your evil!"

Knowing Drayton was heavily shielded, she used earth energy to blast the concealed door, fusing it shut. Swearing, Drayton grabbed the k.n.o.b and tried to force the door open, but Meg had sealed it so securely that a battering ram would be needed.

There was the sound of crashing stone from the main sanctuary. " 'Tis an earthquake!" a Yorkshire man called.

A moment later a Londoner yelled, "The bluidy doors won't open!" More stones punctuated the sounds of rising pandemonium.

"End the spell!" Meg pleaded. "Don't murder so many innocents!"

Drayton swung around, his eyes no longer sane. "Innocents? Those swine will destroy England by turning it into a poisoned manufactory where inferior men will no longer know their place. If I must die to prevent that, so be it!"

Knowing he expected a magical a.s.sault from her, Meg used the same trick Drayton had used on Simon and launched herself at the rogue in a physical, clawing attack. As she'd hoped, she was unaffected by the ritual circle. She aimed at his eyes, wanting to rip them out as if she were a lioness.

Swearing, Drayton backed away and swung a roundhouse punch at her. His fist connected with her cheek. She cried out as she staggered backward.

David White stepped into the chapel, his face taut. " 'Tis hard to find the way in. Now, is there a way out before the building falls down?" He stopped, appalled at the sight of Drayton's blow. "My lord, you should not be hitting a lady!"

"You filthy lowborn mechanic!" Drayton whirled and blasted David with magic.

Without a Guardian's shields, David toppled against the wall, striking his head before he slid to the floor, eyes open and staring. Horrified, Meg started toward him.

Stones fell from the ceiling and bounced in all directions. One clipped Simon's arm. In a ragged voice, he gasped, "First things first, Meg. Can you stabilize the church with the ley line energy?"

If she couldn't, they would all die, not just David. Meg raised her arms and invoked the energy that had flowed through her earlier. Gaia, Blessed Mother, save this place and these people as you saved me. Lend me the strength I need.

The rush of power staggered her. This was the Lady Chapel, she realized, where the Mother had been worshipped for centuries at a crossroads of the earth's own energy.

She opened herself entirely, becoming an instrument. Her skin began glowing with white light as she channeled earth energy into the ancient building's stones. Seeing Drayton's fury, she spared a tendril of white fire to curl around him in a binding spell to prevent interference.

Slowly the white light drove away the angry red, like the incoming tide driving back river water in an estuary. The G.o.ddess energy blotted out the visible world, till Meg felt suspended in light. Power rolled across the length of the nave. She could feel the earth energy spread into the transepts and up the bell tower, stilling the furious shaking of the structure and the frenzied cacophony of the bells.

When the floor below Meg's feet steadied, she sought the black swirl of energy where Simon lay. Finding it, she extended a hand in his direction. White light gushed forth to obliterate the death spell that Drayton had woven into the circle.

Thank you, Gaia. With the last of her borrowed power, Meg opened all the church doors in the sanctuary so that the panicky guests could flee outside even though that was no longer necessary.

Dimly she heard the cries of relief as she sank to the floor, hollow and strengthless. She felt transparent, as if there were nothing left of her but a fragile sh.e.l.l.

A Guardian needed to be willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good. One needn't have taken the oaths to do that.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX.

So much of Simon's strength was tied up in fighting Drayton's magic that he was momentarily dizzy when Meg dissolved the death spell. The transformation spell he could control on his own, which was good since he suspected Meg would be unable to restore him now that she was no longer virgin. If he transformed again, there might be no escape.

He stumbled to his feet as Drayton broke Meg's bindings. The rogue was turning with a feral snarl when Simon focused all his power into an ethereal silver sword. With one fierce slash, he severed the pulsing energy connection between Drayton's ley line power and the thralls. The menacing crimson light vanished instantly.

At that instant Meg crumpled to the floor, her face deathly pale. "Meg!" Simon rushed toward her.

Drayton staggered as the power he had been channeling whipped free, then dissolved and returned to earthbound channels. He made an attempt to recapture it, but without success. He hadn't enough personal magic left to master the ley line energy.

"d.a.m.n you!" Face distorted with fury, Drayton spun around and used what remained of his power to blast Simon.

Instinctively Simon threw up a shield to deflect the rogue's bolt. When it ricocheted from the shield toward the thralls, he shouted, "Down!"

Obedient as always, the thralls ducked. Most of the lethal bolt flew over their heads, but Lily cried out, scorched by the edge of Drayton's a.s.sault. Moses jerked his head up as his true self struggled with the enthrallment spell.

Simon threw another, stronger binding spell around Drayton. It wouldn't last long, but it would give Simon the time he needed to free the thralls. Hoping Jean Macrae had trained them well in self-defense, he slid into Moses's mind. Since he remembered the pathways from before, it took only moments to release the bindings. At first Moses's expression was dazed, but his expression cleared rapidly.

Simon dropped by Meg and checked her throat for a pulse. It was there, faint but steady. Thank G.o.d. Though her life was in the balance, at least she lived.

First things first. That meant releasing the other thralls. He could have worked with more elegance if he had the time, but what mattered now was speed and effectiveness. He broke the bindings on Lily, Jemmy, and Breeda in quick succession. Like Moses, they took only a few moments to recover from their enslavement.

David White was the next priority. How long since he had fallen? Not long, surely less than a minute, but if he was to survive, he needed healing immediately.

As Simon crossed the chapel to David, Drayton broke free of the binding spell and exploded into filthy curses. Before he could act, Moses rose from his chair, his black eyes flashing with rage as he glared at Drayton. "You devil!" he growled, cool blue light radiating from him.

He extended one hand to Lily. She clasped his fingers and stood unsteadily, her gentle face remote and rose-pink energy churning about her as she reached for Jemmy. Eyes radiating ice-gray light, the former chimney sweep stood and took Breeda's hand.

Scarlet light brighter than her hair flared from the Irish girl as she rose, her expression lethal. Before Simon could intervene, she pointed her free hand at Drayton and hissed, "Die, d.a.m.n you! And may your evil soul burn in h.e.l.l forever!"

Magic braided from four diverse souls arrowed across the chapel like a javelin. The weapon of power impaled Drayton. For an instant the rogue stood engulfed in scarlet fire. His voice shattered the air with spine-chilling howls.

Then he was gone, flesh and bone crumbling inward until only a handful of ashes revealed where he had been. Simon stared at the ashes, stunned. He had seen magic do many things, but not reduce a man to nothingness. Was that caused by Moses's African magic? Breeda's berserker rage? Or the blend of all four of them? The last, he suspected. Drayton had forged his own death.

The former thralls released each other's hands, looking stunned. But not, Simon noticed, showing any signs of regret for what they had done.

He dropped beside David and placed one hand on the engineer's forehead and the other on his chest so he could channel his newly acquired healing energy. Long moments pa.s.sed, but it had no effect. Bleakly Simon realized that David was beyond the reach of Guardian healing energy. Only a miracle might bring him back from the abyss.

A unicorn was pure magic, with healing power that transcended what Simon could do in human form. But if he changed, he risked not being able to return to himself. With Drayton dead, the spell could never be lifted.

No matter. He had promised Sarah to look out for her husband, and David wouldn't be here if not for Simon. Releasing the transformation spell he had been struggling with, Simon bent to all fours and changed.

Heat seared in from all directions. Wracking pain distorted his limbs to the edge of madness and he experienced the ghastly knowledge that this time the change might be irreversible.

Pain vanished as he shimmered into magical wildness and rose onto his four powerful legs, secure and confident. Bending his head, he touched the tip of his horn to David's chest above the heart. Heal. Beat strong for your wife, your unborn children, your ideas. You cannot be spared.

Energy poured lavishly from the horn as vital seconds ticked away. It was a beginning, but he needed more. Blessed Mother, grant a miracle for the sake of Sarah, who is soon to be a mother.

The earth energy gushed through him like an iridescent river, saturated David with light. He felt a faint thump from David's chest. Another. Another and another, until there was a solid rhythm. David shuddered all over as he inhaled roughly.

Simon waited a few moments to be sure that his friend was well, then turned, carefully. The chapel was small for a unicorn, six people-and a handful of ashes.

The former thralls were staring at him. Jemmy said, "That beast was 'is lordship, I saw 'im change with my own eyes!"

"He's a unicorn," Lily said. "I . . . I thought there was no such creature."

Breeda edged backwards. "I don't like the looks of that horn."

"He will not hurt us," Moses said, but he also stepped back.

Simon didn't care what they did as long as they didn't interfere. He knelt beside Meg and gently rubbed the length of the horn along her body. Her breathing deepened, but she was still unconscious. She seemed frail as gossamer.

His mate needed more than just the horn. He nuzzled her face. Wake up, my love. Wake up. She drew a single slow breath, an even slower exhalation. Too long a pause before she inhaled again.

Beginning to feel frantic, he nuzzled her again. Meg, don't you dare leave me! Even in his own mind, he had trouble saying, I love you and need you to be whole. I need you, beloved. Come back!

She drew a deeper breath and her eyes fluttered open. "Simon?" She smiled and reached up to caress his muzzle. "We're still here, so we must have won."

Vibrant with relief, he nudged her face again. Yes.

Using Simon to brace herself, Meg managed to sit up. "What happened?"